Written communications today follow some fairly common and standard formats:

Personal letters usually begin something like "Dear Mary" and end with "Love, John." We write the date near the top right, sometimes add a P.S. after the signature, fold the letter, put it in an envelope, and write the recipient's address and the return address on the outside.

Most letters written in the ancient world also followed a standard format, but one which is slightly different from today. The New Testament letters that were written by and/or attributed to Paul and the other Apostles usually follow the standard expectations of their day. Although there are some variations in individual letters (esp. in the body and conclusion), the basic structure of the New Testament letters can be outlined as follows:

I) Letter Beginning

Sender(s): From whom

Recipient(s): To whom

Formulaic Greeting

Thanksgiving (or Blessing)

II) Letter Body

Initial Exhortation

Thesis Statement

Theological Discussions

Ethical Admonitions

III) Letter Conclusion

Practical Matters

Individual Greetings

Personal Postscript

Doxology (or Prayer)

Special Features of Paul's Letters:

Letter Beginning:

Senders: Paul is rarely the only author, but one or more co-authors are usually mentioned (who else is named? which letters name Paul alone? why?)

Recipients: These letters are not addressed to all the people in the respective cities, but only to small groups of Christian believers (exactly how does Paul refer to them?)

Formulaic Greeting: Paul combines a variation of the usual Greek greeting (chaire - "Grace") and the common Jewish greeting (shalom - "Peace") (what does this tell us about Paul? about his readers?)

Thanksgiving: Paul almost always gives thanks to God for something about the recipients (their faith, hope, and love, or the good example they give for other Christians).

Sections and subsections: all of the letters written by or attributed to Paul contain the standard three main sections, but not all Pauline letters structure the subsections exactly as listed above:

A subsection is sometimes omitted (e.g. in the opening of Gal; at the end of 1 Thessalonians)

The order of subsections is sometimes rearranged (esp. the endings of many of Paul's letters)

Some letters have more than one section of the same type (e.g. two "thanksgivings" in 1 & 2 Thessalonians; several "prayers" in Romans)

Theological, ethical, and practical concerns are often complexly intertwined, esp. in the long letters (so the verse divisions in the "Letter Body" sections below are only approximate suggestions).

Paul almost always concludes with a doxology (praise of God), prayer, or blessing for the believers to whom he/they are writing.

Structural Charts of all the NT Letters:

A careful consideration of exactly which verses of each letter belong to each of these standard sections (or which are missing) can lead to some important observations about the nature and message of that letter.

13:20-21, 25 - may God of peace make you complete; grace be with all of you

Letter:

2 Thess

Col

Eph

1 Tim

2 Tim

Titus

[Hebrews]

The "Catholic Epistles" or "General Letters" (and the Letter in Acts 15):

The last seven letters of the NT (and the brief letter cited in Acts 15) are slightly different from the Pauline letters in form and structure, yet still follow the general conventions of ancient letters:

Most of them were not written to a specific individual or community (except 2 & 3 John), but are addressed to a more "general" readership.

Thus, they are not named for the person(s) who received the letter (as Paul's letters are), but rather for the apostle who wrote it (or to whom it is attributed, since the authorship of some is disputed today).

There were probably multiple copies made and distributed to several different Christian communities (much like papal encyclicals are sent to all bishops today, or like people send out Christmas letters to all their friends at once).

Thus they are usually called the "General Letters" or "Catholic Epistles" (not because they were written for or by the Roman Catholic Church, but because the word "catholic" means "universal").

1 John is not really a letter (it lacks the typical beginning and end); James lacks a typical letter ending; most of these lack an initial "Thanksgiving" subsection; and most have fewer "personal greetings" at the end than Paul's letters have.

Letter:

James

1 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

Acts 15:23-29

I)
Letter Beginning:
Sender(s):
From whom

1:1a - James, servant of God & of Lord JC

1:1a - Peter, an apostle of JC

1:1a - Simeon Peter, a servant & apostle of JC

1:1 - "We"
2:1 - "I"

1a - The elder

1a - The elder

1a - Jude, servant of JC, brother of James

23b - The apostles & elders, your brothers

Recipient(s):
To whom

1:1b - to twelve tribes in Dispersion

1:1b-2a - to exiles of the Dispersion in Asia Minor

1:1b - to those who received faith thru our God & Savior JC

1:1 - "to you"
2:1 - "My little children"

1b-2 - to the "elect lady" & her children (Xn church)

1b - to beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth

1b - to those called, beloved in God

23c - to brothers in Antioch, Syria, Cilicia of Gentile origin

Formulaic Greeting

1c - "Greetings"

1:2b - grace & peace be yours in abundance

1:2 - grace & peace in knowledge of God & Jesus our Lord

X

3 - grace, mercy & peace from God Father & JC

X

2 - mercy, peace, and love

23d - greetings

Thanksgiving
(or Blessing)

X

1:3-12 - for new birth in living hope

X

[1:1-4 - we preach so you may have fellowship & joy]

[4 - joy seeing children walking in truth]

[2-4 - a prayer in joy for hi "children" walking in truth]

X

X

II) Letter Body:
Initial Exhortation

1:2-4 - consider trials as joy;

1:13-16 - "be holy, for I am holy"

1:3-15 - Peter's "testament"

[1:5-10 - walk in light, confess sins]

5 - love one another

5-8 - welcome; support traveling missionaries

3 - appeal to contend for the faith

24-27 - we heard that some have upset you

Thesis Statement

[1:3 - testing of faith produces endurance & maturity

1:22-25 - you've been purified & born anew

1:16-21 - Christian teaching comes thru eyewitnesses & Holy Spirit

1:5-10 - God is light; Jesus cleanses us from sin

6 - love is "walking" acc. to the commandments

X

4 - "ungodly intruders" pervert God's grace & deny Jesus

28 - decision of the HS & of us not to burden you beyond the necessities

Theological Discussions

[esp. 2:14-26 - faith without works is dead]

1:174:19 - you are chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, God's own people

5:13-14a - church in "Babylon" & "my son Mark" greet you; greet one another

X

X

13 - sister church sends greetings

15b - greet the friends by name

X

X

Personal Postscript

X

5:12 - written thru brother Silvanus

3:1-2 - this my second letter... to remind you...

[5:13 - I write to you believers so you know eternal life]

12 - more to write, but hope to visit

13-14 - more to write, but hope to see you soon

X

X

Prayer or Doxology

X

5:11 - to Christ be power forever;
5:14b - peace to all in Christ

3:18b - to Lord/ Savior JC be glory now & eternally

[5:21 - keep away from idols]

X

15a - Peace to you

24-25 - to God, thru Jesus, be glory, majesty, power...

29c - Farewell

Letter:

James

1 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

Acts 15

Combined & Edited Letters:

Another common practice in the ancient world was to collect and republish the letters of famous people like Paul. In this process, shorter letters were sometimes combined or other editorial changes made.

For example, what is normally called the "Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians" (2 Cor) might be a compilation of what were originally between two and five separate letters. Some scholars use letters A-G to distinguish all the different letters Paul may have written to the Christians in Corinth, even though the NT contains only two canonical letters:

Cor A = a previous letter, now missing (mentioned in 1 Cor 5:9)

Cor B = most of 1 Cor (Paul responds to oral and written reports from Corinth; see 1Cor 1:11; 7:1; 16:17)